Summer Knitting starts here

When you live in a cold part of the world, the arrival of the first warm days of summer brings a wonderful sense of relief. The turning of a page... an end to the cold weather and the start of a whole raft of fun activities – trips to the beach, summer camping or visits to the mountains.

However, the arrival of summer poses some problems for us knitters… How do we manage all of these summer activities but keep knitting wherever we are?

Well, the good news is that with a little preparation you can make sure you have knitting on hand no matter what you are doing. Over the next few Knitting Notes posts, I will be suggesting some projects and take-along ideas, along with activities where the kiddies can join in. Follow along with the whole series by clicking the links at the bottom of each post.

​So here are some ideas to get ready for the summer:

#1 - Download an armful of patterns
You won't have time to look later on, so choose some patterns now and load them onto your iPad or print them out ready to go.

Select a range of projects, such as a lightweight summer scarf or a canvas-lined bag like this Sarasota Shopper – and make sure you choose some just for you! There will be time to focus on gift projects later!

​#2 - Have a kiddy project lined up
Children love getting involved in craft projects and the Ryedale Bracelets pictured here can work very well with kiddies of a range of ages.

Younger children can help turn the crank of an i-Cord maker, and have the fun of turning out metres of colourful i-Cord, while older kiddies can help set up the bracelet jig and make friendship bracelets for all their friends.

#3 - Check out the on-line yarn stores
Many yarn stores have offers at the end of Spring, so that would be a great time to see what is available and get stocked up ready for the summer. Buy all the yarn you need for the patterns you have downloaded and place them together in a project bag ready to go.

If you choose a summery pattern and yarn such as for the Kimpton Scarf and Wrap pictured here, then you can wear the item as soon as you finish it!

#4 - Map the yarn stores along your route
If you know you’re travelling to a new town, then locate interesting yarn stores nearby before you set off. A simple search such as “knitting yarn” or “knitting store near me” will often be all that's needed so you can find something in your area.

Then you can plan your walking tour to take in not just the famous landmarks in the city but also knitting shops to purchase yarns ready for the journey home.

#5 - Remember the notions
It's so frustrating when you come to the end of your knitting but then find you don't have the right bits and pieces to complete the project.
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So go ahead & gather all the zips, buttons, closures and so on for each of your projects and put them ready with the pattern and yarn in their 'Project go bag'. Then when the knitting is done it won't be long until the item is finished! 

#6 - And that goes for knitting tools too
Have you ever been on a plane and dropped an interchangeable needle tip down the side of the seat? Or been unable to find the crochet hook you need right now to catch that dropped stitch?

So, check your tool supplies now and make sure you have spare needles and all the other essentials with you, including scissors, tapestry needles & blocking pins. Then put them into a handy notions bag so you know exactly where they are. 

#7 - Look out for the #summerknitting hash tag!
You can't escape it. Hashtags have made their way into knitting posts on Twitter/X, Pinterest, Instagram and other places.

So look out for the #summerknitting hashtag when you are next on one of those sites. It's a great way of finding some inspiring summer projects! While you are there, you can check out the fashion pages too so you can plan something in just this season's colours.

Then you'll be set for a whole season of knitting and will hopefully have a large number of completed projects by the end of the summer. After that, you'll be able to contemplate your holiday gift-list in a refreshed state of mind!

​In the next post in this series I will be looking at summer dye projects you could think about – another activity that the kiddies love to join in with!

NB: The photo at the top of this blogpost shows Hever Castle in Kent, UK, with the beautiful rose garden in full bloom. If you have never been there, the it's well worth a trip.

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 For information about any of the patterns featured here or our
Reversible Knitting Stitches book, ​please click the Patterns tab above.

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